Chapter 4

That evening, twilight was gradually fading and giving way to the black inks of darkness that were settling in when Florencia, all worried, set off for home.

- What foolishness have I done to myself? she asked herself. Why hadn't I agreed to take his number?

A few minutes' walk later, the Titi's daughter managed to face the threshold of the house.

- My girl, it looks like you've lasted a long time today," a voice remarked to her from the darkness.

Even in the darkness, the newcomer knew whose voice it was.

- Mom, I'm sorry! It's just that I had a little trouble getting home.

- You did? What was it about?

- Mom, don't worry, we've got a lot to talk about!

- Have we? Then come and sit down, because I can already hear a kind of sadness mixed with panic in your voice!

- It's true, Mom, I'm too worried! But please give me a moment.

Florencia headed for the living room door and emerged a few seconds later with a small lantern, which she lit and placed a few centimetres from the entrance. She finally reached her mother and sat down in front of her.

- Now I'm listening to you," her mother whispered.

The girl sighed deeply and lowered her head. As she tried to speak, she was absorbed by a great fear; then came a terrible shame. In the face of both emotions, she remained Zen without uttering another word.

- But I'm listening, my darling," her mother repeated.

It was at this phrase that the young girl, her head once bowed, lifted it and stared straight into her mother's eyes.

- Mommy, I'm in love," she said shyly.

Her mother was surprised and opened her mouth in astonishment.

- Are you serious?

- Yes, yes, Mom. I'm a...am...in love," she stammered.

- But I'm not surprised! And tell me, who did you fall in love with?

- Jean-Paul, Mom.

- Jean-Paul? Who's Jean-Paul?

- He's the young man I've been seeing lately.

- Oh, I see. And does he know you're in love with him?

- Well, not yet! Because when he talked to me about a relationship, I wasn't a fan of his yet, and that's why I didn't give him my word. But in the last few hours, I've ended up catching myself in love with him.

- There's nothing to worry about since you're not a little girl anymore! Many of the girls in your class are already married and living the delights of love under their husband's roof! So bring us that man you're crazy about.

- Okay, Mom, thanks!

- Yes, it's very important. I have to give him my prescriptions before I tell your father about him.

- Sure, Mom. And tell me, where are my sisters?

- They're probably in the kitchen.

- Okay, Mom. What about Dad?

- I'm sure he'd be in the shower.

- Got it, Mom! I've got to get back to my sisters.

- Don't worry, girl!

Florencia rose and slipped away, leaving her mother alone in the courtyard.

***

It wasn't long before night folded its packages from the sky.

Eight o'clock in the morning. The sun hadn't left its bed early that morning. From the distance, we could hear the din of the latest generation of motorcycles and big trucks. The beating women had already been on the streets for an hour or so, carrying their wares on their heads. Florencia, as usual, had already left at dawn. Her sisters Fidélia and Fidéliana had just left the bathroom. This morning, they had a joint appointment. Still, they never let go of each other. They were always even.

- Fidélia," called the second twin, "why don't we heat up the night's crumbs before our visit to the dressmaker's? I think it'll save us a few arguments with Mom.

- Fidéliana," replied the interviewee, "let's leave it to mom; let's get a move on.

- You're right, but...

- I'm telling you, leave it, we'll be on our way.

After getting dressed, the twins went to their parents' bedroom.

- Mom, we're going out," said one of them.

- Are we? Do you both want to go out?

- Yes, Mom," they answered in unison.

- How interesting! Have you heated the leftovers from last night?

- No, Mum," replied Fidelia.

- And who did you leave this homework for?

- Mom, you can do that, can't you?

- Fidélia, you sound like you're crazy!

- It's normal, Mom," defended the second twin.

- Fidéliana, did you fall on your head?

- It's perfectly normal, Mom," said the unaffected twin again.

The mother, faced with the behavior of her two daughters, didn't know what to say and instead of continuing to speak, stared at them and, to end the debate, began to tap her palms together in astonishment. When she finished, she put her thumb to her chin to further emphasize her amazement.

- Okay, go ahead, I don't know why you're still standing; the way is clear.

The twins looked at each other, their faces lit up with smiles, pulled their hands together and mockingly disappeared from the room.

The father sat quietly, watching everything from the sidelines. He didn't feel like saying a word. He was neither astonished nor surprised by the behavior of the two girls. The mother, seeing him calm and wordless, finally faced him and...

- How are we going to correct the education of these two children...

- Hey...stop! exclaimed the old man. What do you want to tell me? What do you want to tell me? Your children have already missed out on the basics of their education and what else do you want to say? What else do you want to do? It's all over! When they make mistakes and I want to give them the correction they need in this house, what do you say? Don't you stop me from hitting them? Serves you right! And it's not over yet; they're coming for you! When they start pulling your teeth in this house, that's when you'll understand that when a father thinks about his children's education, the mother has no right to interfere. I thank God they know my place and don't come near me, otherwise I'll gouge out their eyes and show them.

The mother, faced with her husband's words, gave her tongue to the cat.

- You want to talk, don't you? Just talk! Aren't you going to stop me here? Aren't you going to tell me not to hit them when they do something stupid, which of course deserves to be punished, and start by shouting? And what do you want now? My darling, if you don't know what you're doing, those two children will end up hitting you one day in this house and I won't say a word; I mean nothing. Or are you going to bet on it? I'm telling you they'll hit you one day, that's for sure. And I'm waiting for that day to laugh, so you'll understand that a child's upbringing is of the utmost importance, and as soon as it's failed since infancy, there's no more mea culpa.

Listening to her husband's words, the mother burst into tears.

- Your crocodile tears won't solve the situation, my dear! You'd better calm down and ask God how to get these two girls back on track, that's what we have to think about now!

***

Meanwhile, the twin sisters were still on the street, making their way to their seamstress's workshop. Suddenly, the two girls were stopped by a young man they didn't know from Adam or Eve.

- Hello ladies," the stranger greeted them.

Instead of responding to the greeting, the two young sisters looked into each other's eyes. Suddenly, one of them burst out laughing. The second, as if in code, in turn burst into a laugh more deafening than that of her neighbor. The stranger was taken aback and, instead of continuing to talk to them, just looked them straight in the eye like a show.

- My friend, leave that madman alone, we're leaving! said the shorter one, whose name was Fideliana.

The slender one, without adding another word, complied, and the two went on their way. The stranger, though annoyed, restrained himself and continued on his way.

- If we waited a bit, he'd probably start telling us his stories of daydreams about 'I want to make you my better half', as far-fetched as that.

- Did we tell him we needed a husband?

- Leave him alone, he's crazy. What's worse, he doesn't even own a motorcycle.

A few minutes later, they landed in front of their seamstress's workshop. When the young craftswoman saw them, she greeted them with great courtesy and seated them. No more than a few minutes later, a Japanese BMW-X came to a halt. Out of the vehicle stepped a slender young man. His complexion was a mixture of light and dark, resulting in a coffee complexion. He had a moustache wrapped around his lips. From his ears to his chin, two parallel lines of sideburns added charm to his small, round face. As he entered the room, the young man, who was in his early twenties, was attracted by the beauty of Florencia's two sisters. He immediately swallowed a slice of saliva. The substance freshened his throat, and he coughed before raising his voice to the dressmaker.

- Madame Sylvia, are these two beautiful girls your apprentices?

The seamstress gave a muted, yellow smile before replying to the gentleman that they were not apprentices, but loyal customers.

The two sisters, attracted by the suit worn by the stranger and his manner, began to look at each other in astonishment.

- Hello ladies, how are you doing? May I make your acquaintance?

- With pleasure!" said the slender one. I'm Fidelia. This one is my twin sister. Her name is Fidéliana. We're part of the Titi family. Our house is just a few meters from here.

- Wow, that's great!" exclaimed the man.

- Thank you," added the second twin, all smiles.

- My name is Dieu-donné. I live in Cotonou, but I built a house here in Porto-Novo. Do you know the Bel Espoir clinic?

- Of course I do! How can you not know about this clinic?" said Fidélia mockingly.

- My house is opposite the clinic.

- That's great!" they exclaimed in unison.

- I'd love it if you'd come and visit me sometime!

- Don't worry, if you invite us, we'll come!" exclaimed Fidélia.

The Titi girls and the intruder spent all their time bickering. They talked and teased each other as if they'd known each other for ages. The owner of the workshop, saying nothing, watched them as they chatted.

***

The twin sisters, after spending two hours at their seamstress's, were back at last. They had both sat down on a mat they had just spread out under the mango tree.

- But Fidelia, what do you think of what the young man said this morning?

- Tell me what you think," said the woman in question.

- How can you return the question? Give me your opinion first!

- Well, frankly, I like the fact that we're visiting him!

- And so do I!

- Great! But the only thing I'm worried about is whether we should tell Mom.

- What mom?

- How many mothers do we have?

- What does she have to do with our business? Just ignore her!

- Are you serious? Well, I'm in league with you. But I'm afraid we might be in danger.

- What danger are you talking about? No danger will befall us, my dear.

- I understand.

While the two were talking, a woman left the room and came towards them: it was their mother. They immediately changed the subject and tackled another, pretending that the mother was aware of their plan.

***

It was nine o'clock.

Florencia, on her way back from the market, walked along the same path she used to take to get home quickly; a path that led her to a place where she was used to finding a man who, no matter how hurried his steps, would call out to her. At the same place, another person was impatient, hoping for someone's arrival or return. Parking his motorcycle on its two crutches, the man sat on the front seat, his gaze lost in the landscape.

Suddenly, a young woman with a basin centered on her head stepped out of the way. Although the darkness dictated what he could see, the man immediately recognized the young woman by her gait. Seeing the young woman approach him, the man began with a small smile on his lips; a smile of joy.

- Happy arrival, fairy queen," said the man to the young woman, who in turn had a lovely smile on her lips.

- Thank you, man without despair; thank you, man with a brave heart! she exclaimed, her teeth glistening.

The young man, with his beautiful voice, hummed a beautiful melody of love, which he sang to her from beginning to end. The young woman, for her part, greeted the verses derived from the song with intermittent joy. She then placed her basin on the floor and, as if entranced by the rhymes of the song, embraced the singer by rolling both arms around his neck, despite the motorcycles and cars kissing them with their headlights. In spite of the pedestrians who passed close by, Florencia took it in her stride. And in her beautiful, pleasant voice, she said: "Wangni gni n'do noué, manvo manvo wè", which translated as "the love I have for you is a love without peril and for eternity".

The man happily lifted his companion and tickled her with big hugs.

- Thank you, my rose! Thank you for deciding to be mine! Thank you for giving me access to your golden heart. Thank you for making me so happy! I'll love you more than my own life.

- That's what you men say, but I trust you.

- You're right; when it comes to assessing the capacity of a small canary to a medium, it's at the edge of the marsh that we deduce. In time, you'll understand that although the RAV4 and the BMW are both called cars, there's a big difference between the two.

- How I love charades! No problem at all. But you know, my mom would love to see you.

- She would? Have you already told her about me?

- Yes, I've told her about you and she's very keen to get to know you. I'm sorry I've been so formal with you, because I don't feel comfortable being formal with you, and it also feels like I'm talking to a group of people when there's only you standing there.

- Oh, darling, I love being on first-name terms.

- Thank you so much for understanding! And as for my mother, what shall we do?

- I'll visit her on your recommendation, of course!

- I'll do that! And when will you have time to visit her then?

- Please give me an appointment.

- Uh... are weekends good for you?

- Until weekends? I think it's a bit too long, but if that's what's going to suit you best, we'll keep it!

- If you think it's too long, I could let you decide!

- Otherwise, I'll suggest tomorrow!

- How about tomorrow? I have to go to the market to...

- Stop it, my queen! If you like, I'll pay you tomorrow's sales money and we'll cancel tomorrow's mobile sales program.

- Are you serious?

- Parbleu!

- All right, then! Then you can come by tomorrow. I hope you recognize the house?

The man burst out laughing, then added mechanically:

- Wait, what did you think? That I'd forget about this house and soon change its appearance?

- Hm? I'd be delighted! So, you've already got my word on it, and you're free to drop by at any time.

- Thank you, my darling!

- You're very welcome! I'm going to ask to leave now.

- Okay, thank you very much. Thank you for making me the happiest man alive.

- It's your right and my duty.

The two new lovers shook hands and went their separate ways.

***

That morning, the Titi courtyard was welcoming a stranger. A stranger who had parked a motorcycle in the courtyard, right next to the gate at the entrance. Standing at the gate, the stranger waited for someone to come and find him a place in either the courtyard or the room. A few minutes later, he was asked to enter, which he did.

- Welcome and good morning, young man.

- Thank you, Mom," replied the stranger, politely.

- Well, not to waste time, let's get straight to the point! So, my daughter told me about you, and I decided to get to know you myself before I knew how to approach her father. First of all, what do people call you and what do you do for a living?

- They call me Jean-Paul. I'm an artist and writer. I'm twenty-six years old.

- Age is not necessary, my son. So you're a writer-artist?

- Yes, Maman!

The lady lowered her head as if regretting something.

- Son, you know I've always hated anyone who promotes art. I don't know if you understand me.

- Not at all, Mom.

- Good for you! Actually, I hate artists. And do you know why?

- No, Mom!

- Thanks, Mom! You know, most artists are always unfaithful. Few of them stay faithful all their lives. Even if they keep their heads down, women come after them. And instead of turning their gaze away from them, they let themselves be tempted by the devil, and then there's rivalry here and there between the wives.

A silence fell between son-in-law and mother-in-law.

- Mom, I know what you're talking about, but I promise you I won't be one of those special cases.

- Son, I know what I'm talking about, and it's not for you to tell me what's real.

The young man's heart began to skip a beat. Eventually, he became frightened.

- So, young man, do you know what I'm going to tell you?

At this question, Jean-Paul's man opened his eyes wide with a heart that was beating very fast.

- I don't agree with this relationship and...

- No, Maman," Jean-Paul begged at once, bending his knees on the floor beneath his interlocutor's feet.

Mama Florencia, seated in the same place, raised her voice and called out to her daughter. The latter appeared a few seconds earlier and, to her great surprise, saw tears rolling down her future husband's eye sockets and took fright.

- Mommy, what's wrong?" cried the newcomer.

- Great question, girl! You know, an old man sitting down can see further than a young man standing up.

- And what does that mean?

- Thank you! You know, I wouldn't recommend this marriage.

- What, Mom? Why not?

- My daughter, diamonds can be expensive, but they'll never cost more than gold.

- Mom, what do you mean by that?

- My daughter, I've already said the essential. I love you and I don't want to see you suffer.

- Mom, why are you...why are you...why are you advising me against this marriage?" stammered the young woman, sobbing.

- My darling, your tears won't change my mind.

The man rose to his feet in pain and headed for the courtyard exit.

Florencia, too, got up and chased the man to the gate. Dejected and dejected, Florencia calmed the sad man who had left the yard, forgetting about his motorcycle.

- My dear, don't worry! I'll convince her. She's my mother and I know how to convince her. There's no need to panic. I know how much you love me. Go home and let me talk her out of it.

With both palms, the young woman wiped away the drops of tears streaming down the young man's face.

At this gesture, the confident man reached into his pocket and, as agreed, pulled out a few bundles of banknotes which she handed to the young woman.

- A promise is a debt. As I promised you, here's what I intend to pay you as money from your trade of the day that you gave up just for my welcome.

- No, go ahead dear, we'll talk about it later.

- Please don't do this to me! Even if your mother's decision becomes eternal, allow me to be useful to you all your life. Even if our fates don't cross, let me be your best friend.

At this sentence, a small flow of tears drew two parallel lines across the young woman's face.

- Don't say that, Jean-Paul! If we're going to be just friends, I'd rather kill myself than see you suffer for me.

The two friends, face to face, looked at each other for several minutes with a heavy sadness on their faces.